Shloka 23
The Prayers of the Personified Vedas (Śruti-stuti) and the Indescribable Absolute
निभृतमरुन्मनोऽक्षदृढयोगयुजो हृदि य- न्मुनय उपासते तदरयोऽपि ययु: स्मरणात् । स्त्रिय उरगेन्द्रभोगभुजदण्डविषक्तधियो वयमपि ते समा: समदृशोऽङ्घ्रिसरोजसुधा: ॥ २३ ॥
nibhṛta-marun-mano-’kṣa-dṛḍha-yoga-yujo hṛdi yan munaya upāsate tad arayo ’pi yayuḥ smaraṇāt striya uragendra-bhoga-bhuja-daṇḍa-viṣakta-dhiyo vayam api te samāḥ sama-dṛśo ’ṅghri-saroja-sudhāḥ
Simply by constantly thinking of Him, the enemies of the Lord attained the same Supreme Truth whom sages fixed in yoga worship by controlling their breath, mind and senses. Similarly, we śrutis, who generally see You as all-pervading, will achieve the same nectar from Your lotus feet that Your consorts are able to relish because of their loving attraction to Your mighty, serpentine arms, for You look upon us and Your consorts in the same way.
According to Ācārya Śrī Jīva Gosvāmī, the few śrutis — such as the Gopāla-tāpanī Upaniṣad — who identify the cowherd boy Kṛṣṇa with absolute Brahman in its highest aspect had so far been patiently waiting for their turn to speak. But after hearing the other śrutis offer prayers openly glorifying the Lord’s personality, these intimate śrutis could no longer contain themselves, and so they spoke out of turn in this verse.
FAQs
This verse states that even those who are hostile can attain the Supreme simply by remembering Him, showing the extraordinary purifying power of constant remembrance (smaraṇa).
The personified Vedas (Śrutis) are speaking. They glorify the Lord by saying that both perfected sages and even women absorbed in the Lord’s association can reach the same spiritual perfection when connected to Him.
Build daily remembrance through chanting His names, reading a small portion of Bhagavatam, and consciously recalling the Lord during routine activities—turning attention back to Him again and again.